{"id":66490,"date":"2021-12-27T18:50:19","date_gmt":"2021-12-27T18:50:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/12\/27\/medal-of-honor-recipient-gary-beikirch-dies-at-74\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:34:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:34:05","slug":"medal-of-honor-recipient-gary-beikirch-dies-at-74","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2021\/12\/27\/medal-of-honor-recipient-gary-beikirch-dies-at-74\/","title":{"rendered":"Medal of Honor recipient Gary Beikirch dies at 74"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Gary Beikirch, who ran multiple times into the line of fire to administer first aid to wounded troops, died Sunday in Rochester, New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was 74.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beikirch was a medical aidman with the U.S. Army, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for valorous action while serving with Detachment B-24, Company B, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, on April 1, 1970. The group was stationed at Camp Dak Seang in Vietnam\u2019s Kontum Province when the enemy attacked along the Laotion border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDuring the intense firefight that ensued, Beikirch repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire and mortars to treat the injured and dying and carry them back to shelter, ignoring his own wounds,\u201d a press release<\/a> stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to his citation<\/a>, Beikirch ran multiple times into the line of fire to retrieve the bodies of fallen comrades. Despite being wounded by mortar shell fragments, he searched and cared for other casualties until he became incapacitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPairs of Montagnard troops helped him reach the wounded when it became too difficult to move under his own command,\u201d the release noted. \u201cHe continued aiding others until he collapsed and was immediately medevacked from the area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being discharged in 1971, Beikirch went on to pursue higher education, becoming a veterans\u2019 counselor and a middle school guidance counselor, the release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Richard M. Nixon awarded Beikirch with the Medal of Honor on Oct. 15, 1973.<\/p>\n\n\n\n